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Police Involved Shooting At Pembroke Pines Strip Mall

Pembroke Pines police are investigating what was initially reported as a shooting in the parking lot of a Pembroke Pines strip mall. (Source: CBS4)

PEMBROKE PINES (CBSMiami) – Pembroke Pines police were involved in a shooting in the parking lot of a strip mall early Monday morning.

It happened in the shopping center located at Pines Boulevard and Hiatus Road.

It began when a man went to enter one of the mall’s businesses, Gaby’s Lounge, around 3 a.m. During a pat down at the door, the door man found that the man was carrying a gun.

The door man called over two off-duty Pembroke Pines police officers who were working a detail at the club.

As officers approached the man, he took off. They chased him across the parking lot and one of the officers grabbed him by the shirt as he got into a black SUV.

As the SUV sped out of the parking lot it drove towards an on-duty officer heading to the club to assist. The officer shot at the SUV, several rounds hit the windshield. The SUV made it out of the parking lot and drove south on Hiatus Road.

Police performed an extensive search of the surrounding area but couldn’t find the SUV or its driver.

“I just came this morning to know that something happened, it’s unbelievable, like a city Pines which we think is always safe,” said Hemant Hardasani who owns a business in the complex. “This is really shocking for us, not safe for us too.”

Several patrons told CBS4 when they left around 4 a.m. they found the police investigation in the parking lot. They said they didn’t hear the shooting. Several of the club goers were initially not allowed to get to their cars because they were inside an area taped off by crime scene tape.